Programmer 7500/MAX_PROGRAMMERS.iso/PROGRAMS/UTILS/HARDWARE/BILDCO.ZIP/BILDCO.DOC

Text File | 1989-11-11 | 26.0 KB | 811 lines

                         YES, YOU CAN!
               Build an IBM Compatible Computer



DJ 76456,3551-Compuserve
DJE1-PC LINK



                 **********DISCLAIMER**********


Although I beleive this to be a project that any reasonably
intelligent person can accomplish, the Autor assumes no
responsibility for failed attempts, errors, ommisions or
injuries or losses sonnected to the use of the information
contained herein.  If you need help, get it.  If you are not
sure, ask.  So there.

                     PUBLIC DOMAIN STATUS

THIS FILE IS UPLOADED FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING YOUR COMMENTS
AND YOUR CRITICISM.  PLEASE SEND ME E-MAIL WITH YOUR RESPONSE.
THE CORRECTED (IF ANY) REVISIONS WILL BE SHAREWARE AND YOU WILL
BE FREE TO COPY IT.

DJE NOVEMBER, 1989            Version 1.00






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Yes, You Can!
Build your own IBM Compatible Computer

by DJ Elliott

With very little know how and using only what you already know
about IBM Compatible Computers, it is an easy and enjoyable task
to assemble an 80286 Machine for a total of about $800.  This
machine will look like a store model and do everything a store
bought system will do, and leave you $1000 or more for other
pursuits.

The Machine can be built in your spare time in a few days, or
over a number of weeks or months, adding the parts as you can
afford them and find them at the right price.

This author has, over the last three months and with no formal
training, built a 12 Mhz 80286 Compatible Machine with 2048K
Memory, a 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 Inch drive, a 10 meg hard disk,
Parallel and Serial Ports, and a 1200 baud Modem.  This unit is
a virtual Rocket, running 600% faster than an IBM XT (source: PC
Tools Diagnostics).  A soldering gun was used ONCE, to add a
switch (optional for my uses).  The gun was the most technical
piece of equipment used.  There was no test equipment, special
tools or mathematics involved.  This article is written on the
described Machine.

Why build a computer instead of buying it?
MONEY and fun.  This machine would easily go for over $2000.
Most parts are under warranty, and you are not "stuck" with a
computer that does not work.  Just have the offending part
replaced or serviced.




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Compatibility
What makes this process nearly idiot proof is the architecture-
everything plugs in or screws together.  If you can build a
model car with Legos or hook up a stereo, you can accomplish
this.

IBM made the decision years ago that the MS-DOS PC would be an
Open Architecture System- a flash of brilliance that led to
their domination of the Market- and made Apple an also ran.

Whatever part it is that you are looking for, it is made by a
number of different manufacturers at a number of different price
points, and, wonder of wonders- they fit into the same slot the
same way.  An ABC Motherboard accepts a DEF Controller, which
runs a GHI Hard Drive, which fits into a JKL kit, and takes MNO
disks.

Make your decision to build this project, don't look back, and
plan on your Check Writing, Recipes, Letter Writing, and
Work-from-the-office to be as close as your living room and as
fast as your machine at work.

The Basic Parts
There are a number of items you will need to get started and
they are easily obtained.  All compatibles have the following
components:










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A Case
A Motherboard
A Power Supply
A Keyboard
A Monitor
A Disk or Hard Drive (I/O device)
ROM [Read Only Memory] -the basic instructions
RAM [Random Access Memory]- your work space
Controllers

The more useful options are:
A second Disk Drive or Hard Drive
A Modem
A Mouse
A Printer

You are ready.  Put on your 80 Nanosecond secret decoder ring,
and let's blast off!

Step One
Buy a Magazine!  (!?!)
An indispensable tool is Computer Shopper Magazine, published
Monthly and available everywhere.  It list the CATALOG prices
for everything you need, in all the various options.  If you
have three weeks to wait, you will get the absolute best prices
on whatever new and current you want (see Computer Shows for the
exception).  Otherwise, you will have the basis for comparison
for shopping elsewhere.  A general rule of thumb: Catalog prices
are

- 40% Lower than Discount Store Price
- 60-80% Lower than Computer Store Price
- 20% Higher than Computer Show Price



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Example: 1 Meg 80 Nanosecond RAM Chips
Computer Store- $30 each
Warehouse Store- $18 each
Catalog- $13 each
Computer Show- $9 each

The above are actual prices discovered shopping for the Chips in
my machine.

Spend an entire evening reading this magazine Cover to Cover- it
is equivalent to an entire College Course in 6 hours.  Your head
will be stuffed with new information and insights.

A Brief Description of Your Buying Options; advantages and
disadvantages.

Computer Shows
Held around the area by different Companies- watch the local
paper Business Section and the back of Computer Shopper
Magazine.  Careful buying is the watchword.  Buy all your Cables
and miscellaneous parts here.  Ask lots of questions about other
pieces from information you gleam here, from Magazines, and from
Books you run across.  Knowledge is Power.  They will mislead
you to make a sale- but won't make any patently false
statements.  My purchase of a 3 1/2 Disk Drive was a great buy
until discovering from the Panasonic Technical Department that
it won't run in Motherboards made after 1985!  But the Dealer
mailed me a refund.








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Catalogs
As stated before, the main drawback is the wait; and don't
forget that you have to add shipping and handling costs to the
price.  Invest the dollar to call the Advertiser's Technical
Line and ask questions: is this Hard Disk Controller MFM or RLL?
Is it 16 bit compatible?  (don't get thrown by this jargon- you
will learn it quickly.  It's analogous to asking Is it Front or
Rear Wheel Drive?  4 or 8 Cylinders?  Someone who never drove a
car would be just as thrown by those questions.)

Discount Store
When buying a piece that may take two or three times to install
right- such as a Disk Drive- the extra money may be worth it.
Questions like Which pin is this jumper set on to make this
Drive B and High Density? is tough to answer if you are a
Catalog Dealer.  Make your decision based on how comfortable you
are installing the part.  The best source of all is the sales
and repair place you now use for work.  Making friends with your
Service Rep gets you into the back room- where all the Used but
Working Parts are kept (and can be bought!!) Where do you think
all the parts went when you upgraded your XT to a 286 at work?

Computer Store
BIG Companies get BIG prices having slick salesmen who frown
knowingly at your questions.  They don't want you to buy a part-
they want you to buy a System.

Step 2
The Case

Now you have a real decision to make- once you make it, you have
decided on the basic Architecture of the Machine and there is no
turning back.  The choices are:



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An XT style Case
Allows for an 8088 based Motherboard- somewhat slow but can be
made faster depending on options and speed up boards.  8 bit
technology.  For The Person Who Has Lots Of Time To Wait for
Spreadsheets To Recalculate.  The technology will soon be as
passe as Leaded Gasoline.  Not recommended unless Price is the
only consideration.  Analogous to buying an Atari 2600 (lots of
cheap programs around!) rather than a Nintendo Game System.  Why
buy something that will be expensive to speed up?  Operates at
4.77 Mhz, with most Motherboards now being "Turbo" (8 Mhz).

The AT
An 80286 Motherboard.  The easiest to get cheaper, new
technology pieces for.  The current de-facto standard.  16 bit.
Fast.  Accepts 8 bit (XT type) peripherals until you can afford
rocket fuel.  8-20 Mhz. Buy as high as you want to fly.

The Baby AT
(Aw...isn't it cute??) An 80286 Motherboard sized to fit in an
XT size case.  My choice.  Most AT parts (except the
Motherboard, Power Supply [use an XT] and some 16 bit cards fit
in here.  Takes less room, just as fast.

The 386 (Model 50 type)
For those of us who just have to know the last digit of Pi
before dinner.  Very, very fast.  Will be the standard for the
early nineties.  A forward thinking choice.  Hard to find
after-market stuff at good prices.  You will pay for the
privilege.  If price is not an issue, the way to go.

The 486
See me in 1992.





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Expect to pay $25-80 for the case.  Buy with confidence from a
computer show or catalog.  Hard to mess this one up.  Look for
panel lights, a keylock, and a flip top (wish I had one!).  You
are inside this babe 30-40 times while building, tweaking and
adjusting, and a flip top will make your life easy.

Install the small speaker and LED's (light emitting diodes) and
lock, if any, on the case.  The speaker may get annoying.  It is
loud.  Radio Shack can help you install a little switch to turn
it off and a headphone jack for private listening of the
annoying beeps.  (This is where I used the soldering gun).

The Motherboard

Once you have made your case decision, this one is simple- buy a
8088, 80286, Baby 80286, 80386 or 80486 Motherboard.  Many
Manufacturers.  Buy the one with the highest Mhz rating.  Mine
is 12 Mhz. Look for BIOS built in ($80-100 to add), the word NEW
in the Ad (you don't want something made in 1986; the BIOS needs
to be able to work with the new small Disk Drives).  A good
question to ask: Does the BIOS (Basic In Out System) read High
Density 3 1/2 inch Disks?  If you don't want a high density disk
now, you will soon.  Will it take 1 Meg RAM chips?  (Cheaper and
leaves room for expansion vs 256K Ram Chips).  Again, this
question will help you get a board that is fairly new.  How many
expansion slots?  Some Tandys (Radio Shack) for example only use
Tandy Expansion Boards (the EX and HX).  No fun.  Nice machine,
but you are left out of great deals on boards and peripherals.
INVEST in the Motherboard.  Spend the extra $20-50 to get the
best you can afford.  Skimp on the replaceable.






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My Choice: AmpTron 286 with 0 wait state, 256/1 Meg sockets, on
board Set up in BIOS.  Other Manufacturers with a good
reputation include Everex.  Pay $150-300 based on features.  Buy
from the Catalog.

Installation: Fits into the case with screws and set-offs.  Very
easy to assemble.  Many Motherboards come with instructions.
Mine didn't.  If not, take out of a library or buy a book, such
as How to Build an IBM Compatible and Save a Bundle by Aubrey
Pilgrim.  Handle this Baby with CARE.  LEAVE it in the plastic
wrap till you are ready to install.  Touch the Metal Case before
touching the Board.  Don't mess it up here!

Plug the Speaker leads and the Power/Turbo LED's on the
Motherboard as indicated.  If they don't work when you fire it
up, reverse them.

Power Supply
For an XT, somewhere around 150 watts is sufficient.  An AT, you
may want to spend an extra $20 to go to 200-250 Watts.  The
higher the wattage, the more junk you'll be able to stuff
inside.  For a Baby AT, buy an XT Power Supply with a high
rating.  Not being an expert on the 386, my advice is to ask a
dealer.

My choice: A 150 watt XT Supply (it was a great deal).  Buy from
a Catalog or Discount Store.  Power Supplies are the most often
repair item.  Don't buy it used.  They go up.  Pay $60-150.








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Installation
Screws to the Case.  Has two plug ins to the Motherboard.  Make
sure the black wires are next to each other when you plug them
in.  Has 5 or more plugs to go to Drives and such.  They are all
the same.  Make sure it comes with a Power Cord!  If not, it's a
cheap item ($3 at a show).

You now have permission to check your installation and turn it
on for a second, but only if you must.  You will hear a series
of annoying beeps as the Motherboard comes to life, finds no
Monitor, Controller, Drive or Keyboard and promptly bails out.
You should hear a gentle whirr from the Power Supply.  If you
see sparks or smell ozone, shut it down and start over.

The Keyboard
May be bought refurbished from a store.  Try to buy an enhanced
keyboard if you have an AT.  Has some neat extra keys, extra
Ctrl and Alt Keys, and F11 and F12.  Some keyboards are
switchable from XT to AT.  Pay $20 (used) to $100 (fancy
extras).  Look for a nice click when you press the keys, LED's
for NumLock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock.

Installation: Plug into the back of the case.

The Monitor
Ok, now we come to some pure decision making.  To keep the as
built cost down, consider giving up color.  Just for now.  Trust
me.  If you want to really plan for the future, though, and want
to add $300 that will make you happy in the long run, go for the
gold and add a multi-sync Monitor.  Top of the Line.  Cream of
the Crop.  Will run anything from Mono to VGA, and most
probably, anything coming down the pike for 5 years.  I advise
AGAINST anything in between.  If you buy something between Mono
and Multi, you will have to throw away or trade for next to


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nothing to upgrade.  The choices are:

Mono:
Monographics Monitor
Green, white or amber on a black backround.  Does Graphics,
though!  You can't beat a Leading Edge Amber Monitor at $69,
available locally.  Don't try to use a TV, even if it calls
itself a "Monitor".  A TV only does 40 columns across
(characters) and you need 80.

CGA
Color Graphics.  Also called RGB for Red, Green and Blue.  Shows
4 colors.  Tandy CGA shows 16.  Nice, but a $200-400 investment
that is going passe.  Many graphics programs demand EGA.

EGA
Enhanced Graphics.  Lots of Colors.  Was the high end standard a
few years ago.  Go higher or Mono.

VGA
Video Graphics Array.  Puts a picture of your Mother on the
screen.  In blushing color.  This is where you want to be
eventually.  You need EGA or VGA to fully run programs like
Freelance Plus (Lotus).  You are almost there.  Only problem
here is, what happens when VGA is supplanted next year?  Read
on.

Multisync
You have arrived.  Will run anything.  Put in a cheap Mono Board
now and buy a VGA Card when you have an extra $200.  Works
anything.  $300 to $600.  Check the Catalog.  You can find
familiar names like Sony and Toshiba here.

So Mono now, Multisync and VGA later.



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Installation: Plug the Monitor into an outlet, or some plug
directly into the Power Supply of the Computer from the back of
the Machine.  Plug the Monitor Cable into the Video Board
(next).

The Monitor (video) Board
For whatever monitor you buy, you have to plug a board into the
computer to run it.  A used Mono board can be had for $20
everywhere.  All those boards that came out of old PC's and XT's
and all the Manufacturer over-runs are sitting around waiting
for you.  So you can have up and running video for $89 or so.

Look for: A Hercules compatible card.  This board 'interprets'
graphics.  With a simple program such as SIMCGA available on
bulletin boards or from clubs, will run any CGA Graphics
program.  Also look for a parallel or serial port built in.
Saves another $20-60.

CGA, EGA and VGA cards plug in the same way.  May need software
(usually provided) to run.

Some VGA cards are downward compatible; that is, you can run
Mono, CGA, EGA or VGA with them.  These board fluctuate WILDLY
in price.  Stores may ask $200 for a CGA card, $300 for EGA,
$400 for VGA- yet at a recent computer show, a full function VGA
card was being sold for $169.  That is why VGA is the way to go.

Installation: Plug into an expansion slot, advisably the
farthest left.  Plug the Monitor cable into the small receptacle
on the back of the card.







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The Memory
THE place you will have to do some digging.  Think of Memory as
a commodity- the price fluctuates day to day, and when you ask
for a price, the dealer will likely pick up the phone and call
some Chip broker for the latest quote.  Seriously!  This is due
to a recent chip shortage.  Prices have come way down, but, like
gold, some dealers kept the highest price.  Buy from a Catalog
or a Show.  Compare prices.  Be patient.

Chips come in 64K, 256K and 1 Meg sizes.  Your Motherboard came
populated (with chips) or at 0K (most likely).  There will be a
bank of 4, 6 or 8 rows of empty chip sockets.  A Memory chip
looks like a small after dinner mint with teeth.  Your
Motherboard documentation (however little they provide) will
tell you that it takes one or more of these size chips.  Use the
highest you can.  It takes 9 256K chips to make 256k of memory.
The ninth chip is for parity checking and other good stuff.
Most Motherboards require you to fill two banks (rows) of
sockets with chips to work.  You will have to use 18 256K chips
to make 512K of Memory.  If you can use 1 meg chips, fill the
same two banks with 18 chips and you have 2056K of Memory!  And
you still have empty rows you can fill later.  1 Meg is the way
to go.  Buy from a Computer Show or a Catalog.  If you call a
dealer, he probably bought from a catalog, and will add lots of
dollars to that price.  Pay $3-6 each for 256K, pay $9 to $17
for 1 Meg. Memory for new machines comes in strips called
Simms. I know nothing about them.

Speed
Chips vary in speed.  The LOWER the number, the faster the chip.
Usual values are 80 Nanoseconds, 100 Nanoseconds and 120
Nanoseconds.  Believe it or not, many vendors charge the same
price, what ever the speed.  You can usually have one bank of 80
and one bank of 100 or 120, but cant mix them in the same row.


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How much Memory?
Anything less than 512K (two banks of 256K chips) is impractical
if you are even going to run a good game.  640K is the most
"conventional" Memory DOS can address, and anything above that
is used for a RAM Disk (making your computer pretend it has an
extra disk drive), Print Spoolers (sends printing jobs ahead and
reducing your wait) and new stuff every day.  1024K is usually
plenty, makes 640K Conventional and 384K extended (not Expanded)
Memory available, but with 1 meg chips, you have to fill 2
banks, so you get 640K Conventional Memory and the rest Extended
Memory.  As more programs add uses for so called above board
Memory, there will be more uses for it.

Installation:
If you have never installed chips before, take apart something
old, like a radio or answering machine that no longer works
(every house in America has a broken answering machine, I
think).  Make sure it is unplugged (of course) and find an IC
chip (described above) and, holding the narrow ends, gently rock
it back and forth and up until it comes out.  Put it back in.
Repeat this a number of times.  When you go to install the
chips, they are usually put in with the notch facing the power
supply.  You may have to bend the pins SLIGHTLY and evenly to
insert them.  Make sure they go in straight and all pins go in.
The notch on the chip is usually matched to a notch on the
socket.  Get help here if unsure!!!  Touch something Metal
before handling the chips.  Static electricity can make them
instant idiots, erasing everything they learned at the factory.
There will be a dipswitch on the Motherboard that you will set
to tell it how much Memory you are installing, and what kind of
monitor you have.  The documentation will explain the switch.





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Go ahead and, with help if needed, install the chips and set the
Motherboard.  Remember, 9 chips in a row for every unit value of
Memory (and I said no Math..oh well).  9 256K chips makes 256K
of Memory.

Disk and Hard Drives (I/O devices)
Before you can load a program or save a file, you need to put it
someplace semipermanent.  This is because when you exit a
program or turn the computer off, everything disappears!  Lost
forever.  Gone.  You need a device or devices to save to a
floppy or hard disk.  For budget purposes, buy a new or used
standard 5 1/2 inch floppy disk drive.  Try to buy a half height
drive, which only takes half the slot in the case, so that you
can add a second 3 1/2 drive later.  The disks are cheap and
will store 360K of information (1K is about 1 page of printed
text).  99% of programs you buy will be on 5 1/2 disks.  Pay
$20-50 used, $40-80 new.

Installation.
You need a board.  Read the rest of this article before
deciding.  You need a hard/floppy or floppy controller.  You
need it to be MFM or RLL if you will soon buy a Hard Drive.  If
you are building an AT (286), you will want 16 bit (two card
edges on the bottom) if you want a Hard Drive.

The Controller
For floppy disks only: you can get a half-card floppy controller
cheap.  Plug it into an 8 bit slot near the power supply.  You
need a cable to go from the controller to the back of the drive.
The plug will be marked 1 on one end and 36 on the other.  1
usually goes on top.  If the disk drive lights and doesn't go
out when you fire up, you have it backwards.  The other end of
the cable should have two card edge connectors, marked with
numbers as described above.  There is also usually a slot in the


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female portion keeping you from putting it on backwards.  One
card edge connector will have a twist in the cable near the
connection.  This indicates the Drive A connector.  Plug it into
the back of the drive, which you have slid into the slot in the
case.  Plug one plug from the power supply into the drive.  If
you have bought a second drive, the other card edge connector
hooks to that drive to make it drive B. You MUST follow the
manual for the drive or call the Manufacturer to set the little
jumpers on the drive near the back to get the drive configured
correctly.

Types of Floppy Drives
Besides the old standby 360K 5 1/4, there is a high density 5
1/4 that stores 1.2M of data.  This drive is new and
problematical.  You may not be able to write to a low density
diskette and use it on another computer.  There are also 3 1/2
inch drives.  The disks it uses are hard, less likely to go bad,
and fit in your shirt pocket without a sleeve.  Wonderful.  Buy
one as a second drive.  Stores 720K.  High density 3 1/2 drives
store 1.44M, and aren't as problematical as high density 5 1/4's
and surprisingly, are only about $10 more than low density!  Buy
the high Density.  Pay $50 (used) to $95.  Installation note: I
had my 3 1/2 high density drive set to Read Media, which meant
that the drive decided which type of disk was in the drive.  A
friend gave me a program on a high density diskette.  The
machine wouldn't read it.  To make a long story short, she had
formatted the high density diskette to low density, and the
drive to trying to read high.  I changed the jumper to read the
disk type from the machine instead of the Toshiba drive.
Problem solved.  If your BIOS routine sets disk types in the
Setup program, do it this way.






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Hard Disks
Ok, ready for some jargon?  There are MFM drives (usually old)
RLL and ESCI drives.  Buy whatever you get the best deal on, but
your controller MUST be compatible with that type.  You can get
10,20,30,40 and up Megabytes of memory.  Read up on it.  30M is
about the best compromise.  Buy a compatible Hard/Floppy
controller (MFM or RLL to match the drive and 8 bit for XT or 16
bit for AT) to control all the drives.  Buy a half height if
possible to save room for a second hard drive.  I installed a 10
meg full height (great buy!) and filled it in two days.  Work
Perfect took 2M.  Symphony took 1.5M.  And on and on.  Pay $50
(used) to $600 for a hard drive.  Get a book on formatting.

Installation
There is a big cable that goes from the Hard Drive to the
controller and a small one.  Match pin one to pin one all the
way around.  Slide the Hard Drive into the case, connect these
cables, and plug in the power supply lead.

SUMMARY
You have installed the Motherboard and Power Supply, hooked up
the speaker and LED's, inserted the Memory chips, set the
Motherboard dipswtich(es) put in the Monitor Card and plugged in
the Monitor, plugged in the keyboard, inserted the Hard/Floppy
Controller, slid in and connected the drive(s), and plugged the
whole shebang into the wall.

Now turn it on.

If everything is hooked correctly, the Memory will count off as
it is checked, and you will be sent (hopefully) to a set up
program in BIOS to describe and save the configuration of your
system.  You now need to add MS-DOS from a disk to "Boot" the
computer, and you are up.  The moment you see your first A>


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prompt, you are in business.  Open a bottle of champagne, pour
one from me, and accept my hearty congratulations.

MY SYSTEM
Piece                           New or Used Source      price
=================================================================
Case- Baby AT                   New         Catalog         $25.0
Motherboard-AT286 Amptron       New         Friendly Rep   $199.0
Monitor-Leading Edge            New         Gen. Comp.      $69.0
Mono Card w/ parallel port      Used        Friendly Rep    $20.0
Power Supply 150 Watt           New         Disc. Store     $69.0
Teac 5 1/2 Drive                Used        Show            $40.0
Toshiba 3 1/2 HD Drive          New         Disc. Store     $89.0
IBM MFM 10 Meg Hard Drive       Used        Show            $20.0
Adaptec Hard/Floppy Controller  Used        Friendly Rep    $69.0
Memory- 18 1M 80NS Chips @$9    Used        Show           $162.0
Serial Port                     Used        Show            $10.0
Modem 1200 baud (optional)      Used        Show            $20.0
Switch and headphone jack (opt) New         Radio Shack      $4.0
                                                        =========
                                                           $796.0

TOTAL














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